Biosecurity
Updated
Environmental threats
Businesses in lockdown as fire ants found further south in NSW
The red ant nest has been eradicated, and the ants are no longer considered a risk to the community living in the immediate area.
- by Sarah McPhee and Amber Schultz
Latest
Floating ‘rafts’ of deadly fire ants pose growing threat to NSW
Venomous fire ants caught in Queensland floodwaters are forming living rafts that can quickly travel long distances, raising the threat of more incursions into NSW.
- by Mike Foley
Australia drops case against Amber Heard relating to importation of dogs Pistol and Boo
Amber Heard was charged after bringing her two dogs into the country without declaring them in 2015.
- by Nell Geraets
‘We’re losing the war’: Fire ants on the march amid shortfall in eradication funding
The venomous pests are spreading from Queensland towards NSW and other states, as government documents reveal a shortfall of hundreds of millions of dollars in funding to wipe them out.
- by Mike Foley
‘It did not happen in Indonesia’: Jakarta at odds with Australia over cattle disease
Indonesian officials say Australian cattle with lumpy-skin disease showed symptoms before being unloaded from ships, heightening their suspicion over its origin.
- by Chris Barrett and Karuni Rompies
Venomous fire ants could spread nationwide as eradication funding stalls
The potentially deadly pest is poised to march across the country after governments failed to agree on a funding package to continue an eradication program.
- by Mike Foley
As ants march towards border, taxpayers face ‘significant’ bill to control spread
Authorities refused to release a damning report on Queensland’s fire ant problem, even as the federal government quietly warned of the likely financial cost.
- by Sean Parnell
Exclusive
Animals
A weed masquerading as a shrub killed Anna’s two ponies. It’s still sold in garden centres
Cestrum nocturnum, a decorative, sweet-scented but highly toxic shrub popular in gardens, is taking off as a weed in NSW – but the government has not banned it.
- by Caitlin Fitzsimmons
Graphic content
Murray Watt
Box of dead turtles among tonnes of products found in biosecurity haul
Raids at numerous locations across the state came after a biosecurity officer saw a box of turtles during a routine inspection.
- by Christopher Harris
Exclusive
Cars
Labor tells car makers not to import pest-ridden cars amid biosecurity backlog
Australians are being made to wait up to a year for new cars after the number of vehicles held up at Australian ports over biosecurity threats almost doubled.
- by Anthony Galloway and Benjamin Preiss
Weevil scheme: Why scientists have put bugs in SEQ’s water supply
A tiny insect is the key top stopping an invasive species that has caused havoc in waterways in south-east Queensland and around the country, experts say.
- by Stuart Layt